Rotary Club Estoi Palace International (RCEPI) held its Presidential Handover in Faro on Friday, 29th June with almost 100 guests including representatives from other Algarve Rotary Clubs listened to Manuela Robinson as outgoing President reflect on her year in office. The Club raised 27.000 euros of which the majority was spent on improving the lives of the local community.
The Club celebrates its 10th anniversary later this year and its very first project was to supplement the milk provided to the underprivileged in Estoi registered with Faro Food bank in monthly food packs given to them. The Club supplies 6 litres of long life milk per child and 2 litres per adult. This Rotary year saw RCEPI in April reach a milestone of 50.000 litres provided over 10 years at a total cost of 21.500 euros. Quiz nights and donations are the main funding sources for this milk.
The Club’s annual White Night in June resulted in 2000 euros being donated to a local association that supports autistic children and their families. Nearly 10.000 euros was used to help students with ongoing University education and Summer camps. The local Estoi school received an oven and microwave, to improve facilities for their students, plus 7 students went on a study tour in the North of Portugal to looks at traditional Portuguese cookery methods. The school also received Portuguese/English dictionaries to assist 5th grade students and Merit certificates were awarded to the most outstanding students. In addition, career advice and information talks were given to those in the 9th grade contemplating their future job choices.
Working with the Wolf Valley Charity Fund again RCEPI donated funds to enable the Estoi Casa do Povo to purchase a long awaited and much need van to help their work in the Community. RCEPI also arranged Christmas parties for the underprivileged at the Casas do Povo in Estoi and Moncarapacho. A musical evening in May raised further funds for the Estoi Casa do Povo enabling them to renovate an exterior area where they can now hold fund raising events.
Internationally, RCEPI donated 1000 euros to the Rotary International keystone project of End Polio Now, with a 2 to 1 match 3000 euros went into this fund whose aim is to eradicate polio from the face of the earth. Following the devastating earthquakes in Italy and volcanic eruption in Barbuda Shelterboxes were sent to help the homeless there.
Last year working with other Rotary Clubs in the Algarve and other charitable associations such as the Wolf Valley Charity Fund a mobile vehicle was donated to the Algarve Oncology Association(AOA) for breast screening purposes. This year RCEPI joined forces with the Wolf Valley Charity Fund and the AOA to contribute equally to a mobile lung and skin cancer screening vehicle. These two mobile vehicles are truly life changing for the Algarve population in making screening and advice on prevention easily accessible to thousands of people. Early detection saves lives and RCEPI is very proud to be part of this.
Our incoming President for the 2018-19 Rotary Year, Bruno Sousa Costa, expressed his aspirations to continue the fantastic work done by the Club over the last 10 years, to increase awareness of the work Rotary does and to expand membership as members are the lifeblood of the Club. Service above Self is the Rotary motto and Bruno is keen to build on all the foundations successfully laid by past Club Presidents and members.
The mission statement of the Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty and the Rotary Club of Estoi Palace International has been honoured to uphold these values during the Presidency of Manuela Robinson and to continue them for the forthcoming year under the stewardship of President, Bruno Sousa Costa.
For further information contact RC Estoi Palace International at moc@rotaryestoipalace.org
